


The Royal Messenger

by OhanaHoku



Series: The Raven-Haired Warrior, A Raven-Haired Child [9]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Child Abuse, Child Soldiers, Childhood Trauma, Conditioning, Gen, Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Merlin Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Merlin Needs a Hug (Merlin), None of these triggers are specifically for this part of the series, One Shot, One Shot Collection, PTSD, Past Child Abuse, Series, Short One Shot, but are there so you know what the rest of the series contains, merlin has issues, part of a series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25787413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhanaHoku/pseuds/OhanaHoku
Summary: A royal messenger from the kingdom of Regsnaw arrives in Camelot, and Merlin's frustration increases as he senses an impending visit with an old friend.Or, Part 9 of my series.Series Summary: To protect Mordred, Merlin confesses to having been a child soldier under Cenred's rule before coming to Camelot. This causes ripple effects throughout their lives that culminate into a tidal wave of disaster for the kingdom and its resident warlock.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: The Raven-Haired Warrior, A Raven-Haired Child [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764406
Comments: 12
Kudos: 174





	The Royal Messenger

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blazingstar29](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blazingstar29/gifts).



> Hello, readers! Apologies for getting this next part up so late. Life has been busy and I had to revise this part several times before deciding how I wanted it to go. Thank you all for waiting patiently and sticking with this. <3 This part is gifted to blazingstar29 for their continued support and encouraging comments on this series. Thank you so much! <3 <3

It was on his way back to the castle after making his rounds for Gaius that Merlin stopped in the middle of the road, an odd sensation tugging at his chest. The warlock looked up at the sky, staring off into the distance. The feeling wasn’t an unfamiliar one, though it wasn’t necessarily expected.

He sighed forcefully in frustration. He should have known that things were going to get more complicated.

“Out of the road, you dolt!” Shouted a man on horseback as he nearly ran the servant over, laughing as Merlin stumbled back against one of the marketplace carts, his spine jamming painfully against the wood.

Merlin’s frustration flared into anger, and his fists clenched as he glared after the man. He glanced around briefly before ducking his head to shield the view of his eyes and whispering a spell.

The saddle’s girth strap snapped suddenly, and the man cried out as he slipped from the horse’s back and landed in a scatter of horse dung in the road.

The market-goers laughed at the scene as Merlin’s glare dissipated, and a small, wicked smirk twisted his lips as he kept walking, his steps just a little lighter.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

It came as no surprise to Merlin when he was ordered to serve dinner for Arthur and that man. He had seen the royal crest on the man’s saddlebags when he’d passed, a red sea serpent against a yellow background.

It turned out the man was a royal messenger for Aimar, King of Regsnaw, the northernmost of the Five Kingdoms, set along the coast.

If he recognized Merlin from the marketplace, he didn’t give any indication of it as he spoke with Arthur.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, King Aimar sent his condolences about the death of your father, Arthur, many months ago when it happened. However, his majesty wishes to express his regret of Uther’s unfortunate passing in person, as well as discuss some matters regarding the treaty your father orchestrated between the Five Kingdoms.” The man, Leofwin, told Arthur as he sipped some wine from his goblet. He was wearing a different shirt than earlier, Merlin noted with cold satisfaction.

“If Aimar wants to discuss the treaty, shouldn’t all five kingdoms be present?” Arthur asked, taking a bite of chicken as he waited for an answer.

Leofwin chuckled and waved his hand at the thought, unconcerned. “It’s not as important as all that. No, Aimar merely desires to know who exactly he’s aligned with.”

“In other words, he wishes to know how I plan to rule my kingdom now that my father is gone, and if I intend to divert from the policies outlined in the treaty.” Arthur inferred.

The man grinned and raised his goblet to him. “Precisely, Sire.”

Arthur raised his goblet in turn and took a sip of the sweet wine before setting it back down. “Then, of course, I agree to a meeting. However, at this time, I’m afraid I cannot travel out of my kingdom to attend such a meeting in Regsnaw.” Arthur informed him.

This prompted a small bout of laughter from the other man. “If I know Aimar as well as I think I do, Sire, then I think it would be safe to say Aimar would prefer to meet in Camelot. If you’d be so kind as to receive us here. He does enjoy the opportunity to visit the warmer kingdoms, as it is cold in Regsnaw year-round.”

Arthur chuckled along with him. “Then please extend our warm invitation to your King, Leofwin. We will look forward to a visit from him. But please, feel free to spend a few days here to rest before you make the journey back home. My manservant will see to it that you are well taken care of.” He said, gesturing to Merlin.

The servant nodded his head slightly in respect as their eyes met, and the man’s eyes still showed no recognition of who Merlin was. He nodded back to him before turning to Arthur. “Thank you, Arthur. I accept.” He said, bowing his head as the conversation came to a close in favor of lighter, trivial topics as they ate.

**Author's Note:**

> Word Count - 696. It's a little shorter than it was going to be originally, but I decided the next part would be better if it wasn't attached to this one. So, what do you guys think? Any guesses on who we'll be seeing in the next chapter? Will we be seeing more of Merlin's cynical, darker side that we got a brief glimpse of here? Is Leofwin actually a nice guy, or the jerk that he seemed to be at the marketplace? You'll have to stay tuned to find out! ;D
> 
> Fun Facts - 1) Aimar means a famous or noble individual. It's actually a surname, but I'm using it as a first name here. 2) Regsnaw is two words put together. Regno (or regnum) is Latin for kingdom, and snaw is Old English for snow, so Regsnaw literally means Kingdom of Snow. 3) Aimar is [this guy](https://merlin.fandom.com/wiki/Unidentified_King_1) aslo known as Unidentified King 1 on the Merlin Wiki. He's one of the kings of the Five Kingdoms from the episode Sweet Dreams. His canon crest is a yellow background with a red design, but it's too blurry to make out what it is exactly. It makes me think of snow drifts, mountains, or a fish... so I made his kingdom cold and along the coast, though I decided the crest with be a sea serpent. XD So there you go. Oh, also he's dressed in a fur cape which makes me think his kingdom would be of a colder climate too.
> 
> [my tumblr](https://ohanahoku-ao3.tumblr.com/)


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